Alexander mclean



ooooooo A. MGLEAN.

BBBBBBBB D. r No. 393964. Patenta& Mar. 5, 1889.

UNITE STATES Parent FFECE ALEXANDER MCLEAE, OF RESERYOIR ROAD BROCKLEY, COUNTY .OF SURREY, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-HALF TO ROBERT COMYNS EAMES, OF

LONDON, ENGLAND.

BRlCK-MOLD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patcnt Ne. 399,()64, dated March 5, 1889. Application filed February 17,1887. Serial 1%, 227360. (No model.) Patenied in England June 9, 1884, Nos. 8,747 and 8,748'

To all whom 56 may cancer/L:

Be it known that I, Anuxiixom MULEAN, ol' 20 Rcservoir Road, Brockley, in the county of Surrey cement-manufacturer, have in- Vented a new and useful improvement in apl paratus for the manufacture of slabs, hlocks, T hrieks, and similar articles, and iorthc separation oi' liquid from solid suhstauees, of which the following is a specifieation.

l`his ivention relates to the manufacture of dccoraiive slahs or panels from Keenes,

Parian, or similarcements, of payiug slahs or ficiently plastic for use in the manufacture of bricks and tiles. It is also Well. known that f pressure improves the quality of the slabs, blocks bricks, or tiles made from the abovementioned n'aterials, as it tends to prevent i the formation of blow-holes, hut in order to take advantage of the pressing, the cement and clayhave to he mixed With ha rdly enough Water to insure the proper setting of the cement or the proper and easy working of the 1 clay. Even under these conditions but comparatively slight pressure can he given for 3 the reason that it has been hitherto impossible to make proper or adequate provision to y get rid of superfiuous moisture without (owl ing to the incompressibility of the ater) i squeezing the material out of the molds ii' too great pressure is applied.

Now the object of this inventiou is to provide for the manufacture of slahs, blocks, and 5 other articles by the aid of pressure 'E rom materials which are comparatively wet-that 'is 5 to say, that have been mixed with such a quantiiy of Wateras to insure the proper and g best results-and also to express the Water from materials (for the purpose of drying the same) which have been treated With an excess of water-such, for example, as in the prcparatiou ot' ehina-clay for the market in the manu faciure oi. u'hiting, and generally to separate liquid and solid suhstanecs for any purpose for which such separation maybe clesired.

The simplesi and the best mode of putiing this invention into practice is to provide a firm base-plate, upon which I place asheet of 'felt or analogous hair fahric of larger dimensions than the base-plate and upon the felt I secure in any convenient manner a rectangular or other shaped frame of the proper height and size, and ot' suitable strength, which will form the mold proper.

Figure l in the accompanyng drawings represents a seetional elevation of a mold for j making hlocks or bPCkS according to this in- Vention. Fig. 2 is a similar View of part of a mold, showing a modification of the invention. Fig. 3 is a Vertical section-al View of a mold for the compression into blocks of the solid matter contained in sewage.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A is a foundation of any suitable solid material.

L is a hase-plate formin g the bottom of the mold.

C is the mold or receptacle.

D is a pluuger of a hydranlic or other press,

i and E is the material under pressure.

F is a sheet of felt, which is laid upon the base-plate B, and Gisa piece of canvas placed between the mold G and the felt F, for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

In Fgs. 2 and 3 I have shown a perforated mold or receptacle lined With felt F' around 1 its sides in addition to the felt F at the bottom of the -mold. 'This felt lining may be secured in any convenient mannerg. 'but I have shown .it lapped over the edge of the mold and Secured by a ring, H.

The mold or reeeptacle C; which is eylindrioal, is shown as perforated for a portion only of its depth; but it may be perforated the whole of its depth, if de'sired.

The mold thus arranged Will be filled with the material, and the pressure Will be applied by a hydraulio or other press, or in any other convenient manner, The effeet of the pressure (which may be of many tons) Will be to force the Water out of the material and produoe a solid homogeneous slab or block having a smooth surface and free from blowholes.

The sheet of can vas or other coarse fabrie, G, laid over the felt in the mold prevents the fibers of the felt from beeoming incorporated With the slabs or bloeks. This sheet will readily peel off the slab or block When the proeesses of making' slabs, &(3., will be saved. i

In the manufacture of deoorative slabs a plate of metal en graved, eu t, or east with any suitable design or pattern, in relief or intaglio,wi ll be Secured to the under face of the plunger of the press by which the pressure is applied.

In some cases l mayperforate the sides and bottom of the molds to allow the exuding Water to flow away more freely.

In expressing the water from slip in the bloeks in a similar manner, and the employ-.

ment of heat as hitherto to dry the materials Will be rendered to a great extent, if not entirely, unneeessary-an advantage which ehina-elay merehants at least will greatly appreciate.

In drying peat the material will be compressed into -bloeks of suitable size by any suitable means.

The invention may also he used in the treatment of sewage, the sewage being run into suitable tanks or reeeivers lined With felt or similar material, and on pressure being applied thereto the liquid will be forced out in a filtered condition, the solid matters remaining in the tank to be treated in any manner that may be desired.

I claim- In a mold for brioks and similarly-shaped articles, the eombin ation of. a base-plate forming the bottom of the mold, a reeeptaole forming the sides of the mold and supported by said base-plate, a layer of felt or similar absorbent material placed on the said baseplate between it and the said reeeptaele, and a layer of coarse fabrie upon the'top of the said absorbent material, both said absorbent material and thelayer of coarse fabrie extending beyond the side edges of the reeeptacle, and a plunger, substantially as specified.

AL XR. MCLEAN.

witnesses:

ART UR R. SKERTEN, G. W. WEsTLEY, Both ,of 17 G racechurch Street, London, E'. O. 

